Simpang Beluru Secondary School Co-operatives Limited (SBS Co-op)
Date of Incorporation
10 June 1997
Membership
Number – 858
People - Students, Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff
Age – 13 – 50 yrs
Activity
Consumer, service, rental, and tourism
Organisational form
Consumer Co-operative
Area served
School Members
Introduction
Our school co-operative is situated in a village about 30 km from the nearest town in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia. The local economic activity in the area is mainly rubber planting. Since one would need to go to the town to get school and house provision and supplies, the co-operative was set up to serve and meet the basic needs of our members. We have 858 members, including 818 students, male and female, 34 teachers, and 6 non-teaching staff. The students are between twelve and seventeen years old.
As the school is focused on providing education for its students, the co-operative focuses on the business activities associated with that activity. The members plan the co-operative’s main activities, thereby having many opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial skills. The co-operative’s profits are returned back to its members in the form of a dividend payment to the school through community programmes. It is a model that has thrived in almost all secondary schools in Malaysia.
Activities
The SBS Co-op began humbly in a small room in 1997, selling stationery items, sportswear, neckties and nametags to students. Its activity has since grown in number and range. The co-operative’s activities today are divided into 3 categories:
A. Economic Activities
- Convenience Shop – Selling of stationery items, souvenir items, sportswear, food and drinks.
- Services
a) Launderette service
b) Rental of covered parking space to teachers and staff
c) Copying, binding and laminating service
d) Savings centre - ICTs Service – The co-operative offers computer classes and Internet services to its members.
B. Educational Activities
The co-operative participates in events jointly organized by the Ministry of Education and the National Co-operative Organisation of Malaysia (ANGKASA) – the apex body for the co-operative movement in the country. It sends members to the Administrative and Management Course and the School Co-operative Tourism Project.
C. Social Activities
- Sports and Recreation: The Co-operative organizes Petanque tournaments among its members and other co-operatives.
- Community Service: The co-operative contributes cash and books to deserving students during the school’s Prize Giving Day, Teacher-Student’s Day and Sports Day. The co-operative also provides donations to needy students.
Management
The school co-operative by-laws require the Principal of the school to be a member and to be the chairman of the school co-operative board. Other board members include other members of the school staff and students elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting. SBS Co-op is managed by fifteen Board Members (ten students, five teachers) and three Internal Auditors (two students, one teacher). The students play a major role in the decision making process in running the co-operative.
In addition, the Board appoints a committee to oversee the collection of savings from members. Two co-operative members from each class are elected to the committee, and there are a total of 50 co-operative members on the committee to handle the cash deposited by the co-operative members. Other members of the committee ensure that the other services provided by the co-operative are running smoothly. The minimum share for the students in SBS Co-op is RM3.00 while the staff member is RM10.00.
The Success
The SBS Co-op has been successful because of the strong commitment of its Board of Directors and its members. Though the teachers are occupied with teaching and students with schoolwork, it has not been a deterrent for them to contribute to the co-operative and ensure that it operates effectively and successfully. Guidance from the apex organisation and the Ministry of Education has played a critical role in our success.
The services offered are customized to the needs of the students. The co-operative charges reasonable fees to its members for such services as the launderette, computer classes, and Internet access. It operates a one-stop centre for students where they can purchase their stationery, postage, and daily supplies.
SBS Co-op has a sound and proven financial track record and therefore enjoys strong support from local wholesalers and suppliers. It has successfully accumulated some assets and has been able to put aside a substantial amount of cash in a fixed deposit account as a result of prudent management of the accounts and administration. The financial record at end of April 2003 showed that the co-operative had managed to record an accumulated profit of RM43,281.94, an increase of fifteen per cent from the amount recorded in previous years. It also showed the co-operative’s current assets stood at RM53,529.65 against the current liabilities of RM4,265.80. Analysis on its liquidity showed that its current ratio is 12.5 times. This is a very strong position for the co-operative, allowing it to repay its creditors and to pay its short-term loans.
It is to the SBS Co-op’s credit that it has contributed significantly towards school development. For the period of 1999-2002 a total of RM13,049.00 was spent and this includes students’ rest area, play area for Petanque, Bougainvillaea Rest Area, Reflexology Signboards, School Platforms one and two, and curtains for the prayer room.
In recognition of their sound management, record of activities organized and involvement of members, SBS Co-op has received the following awards:
- State Co-operative Quality Award conferred by The Department of Co-operative Development of Malaysia
- Best School Co-operative Award (Daily-School Category) conferred by ANGKASA
- Winner of the Co-operative Quiz Competition at the State Level conferred by ANGKASA
Based on the experience of the SBS Co-op and other school co-operatives in Malaysia, we believe that the success of such organisations is dependent upon the following characteristics.
- Strong commitment and guidance from the school principals and teachers in establishing the school co-operative and turning it into a successful co-operative.
- Strong involvement by students and teachers in the co-operative’s activities.
- Careful management of the business of the co-operative.
- Ability to meet the needs of its community.
- Ability to contribute positively to the development of the school.
- Structured guidance provided by the apex organisation (in our case ANGKASA) and the government’s effort towards the development of the school co-operative movement.
Dayang Hamsiah is a teacher by profession, specialising in Living Skills and Commerce for Form 1 and Form 3 students. This mother of six children lives in Enggor, Perak. She has been involved in the school co-operative movement for 16 years. She is currently the Treasurer of the SBS Co-op.
